Guide-block for torpedoes.



W. J. DOOLAN.

GUIDE BLOCK FOB. TORPBDOES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 18, 1911.

(1 may Patented June 16, 191i COLUMBIA FLANOORAPH C0,.WASHING1ON, D4 c.

WILLIAM J. DOOLAN', OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBI A.

GUIDE-BLOCK FOR TORPEDOES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 16, 1914..

Application filed November 18, 1911. Serial No. 661,031.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. DOOLAN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Guide-l3looks for Torpedoes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to guide blocks for torpedoes.

In practice, it has been found that during the discharge of torpedoes beneath water, there invariably arises a tendency of the torpedo to flex owing to the resistance of the water against the head of the torpedo. This flexing tendency of the torpedo causes an abnormal amount of friction between the torpedo and the spoon, and such friction results in a decreased speed of discharge and a tendency of the torpedo to deflect before righting itself, which latter greatly i1npairs the accuracy of the aim.

It is therefore the object of this invention to provide an anti-friction guide block which will serve to absorb the friction between the spoon and torpedo during discharge of the latter and thereby maintain both the speed of discharge normal and 0bviate deflection with resultant increased efficiency in the accuracy of the aim.

With the above and other objects in View, the invention consists in the details of construction, and the combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had tothe accompanying drawings, wherein like characters of reference denote corresponding parts in the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a View in elevation looking at the open side of a torpedo spoon, same having a torpedo mounted therein, and showing the improved guide block applied; Fig. 2, a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, an enlarged plan view of the guide block detached; and Fig. 4, a detail perspective view of the guide block, partly broken away to better disclose the anti-friction bearings carried thereby.

Referring to the drawings, 10 indicates a torpedo spoon which is provided adjacent its side edges with longitudinal grooves 11 and 12 respectively, said grooves 11 being disposed correspondingly to the grooves 12 and in opposition to the latter. The spoon 10 is further provided on its inner face midway between the grooves 11 and 12 with a plurality of spaced sockets in each of which is mounted an anti-friction roller 13, the axes of which extend transversely of the spoon. The periphery of each roller 13 projects slightly beyond the inner face of the spoon so as to be engaged by the shell of the torpedo during discharge of the latter. The torpedo is indicated at 14 and is shown as having fixedly mounted at an intermediate point thereon and at its topand bottom respectively, bearing blocks 15 and 16. Each of these blocks 15 and 16 is provided on its outer face with ribs 17 extending longitudinally of the torpedo 14:. The ribs 17 of the block 15 are disposed in the grooves 11 respectively, while the ribs 17 of the block 16 are disposed in the grooves 12, and in this manner the torpedo is slidably engaged with the spoon for discharge. Formed in the outer face of each of the ribs of the blocks 15 and 16 is a plurality of recesses 18, in which are journaled respectively anti-friction bearings 19, having their axes of rotation disposed transversely of said ribs. The peripheries of these antifriction rollers 19 project slightly beyond the outer faces of respective ribs 17 so that upon a tendency of the torpedo to flex vertically up or down, said rollers 19 will engage the inner walls of the grooves 11 and 12 respectively and thus absorb the greater portion of the friction that would arise under such conditions. The ribs 17 of each of the blocks 16 and 16 are further provided with transverse passages 20, in which are journaled anti-friction rollers 21 having their axes of rotation disposed at right angles to the axes of rotation of the rollers 19, and further having their peripheries projecting slightly beyond respective side faces of said ribs 17. By the construction and arrangement of the anti-fricti0n rollers 21, it will be apparent that upon a tendency of the torpedo 14 to flex laterally in either direction, the rollers 21 will engage the side walls respectively of the grooves 11 and 12 and result in a material reduction of the friction that would normally arise from engagement of the side faces of the ribs 17 with the side walls of the grooves ll and 12.

It will be understood that while the friction absorbing device is described herein as particularly adapted for use in the underwater discharge of torpedoes, same may be utilized with equal facility to absorb friction arising from the torpedo and spoon in abovewater discharge and the device is therefore inno sense limited in use to the under-Water discharge of torpedoes.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that there has been provided a guide block for use between the torpedo and torpedo spoon which will reduce the friction between the spoon and torpedo during discharge of the latterto a minimum and Which will thereby serve to obviate undue deflection and increase the accuracy of the aim.

What is claimed is? 1. Thecombination of a torpedo spoon, a torpedo disposed in said spoon and slidably interlocking therewith, and means interposed between the interlocking portions of the torpedo and spoon for absorbing friction incident to the discharge'of the torpedo irrespective of the direction of transverse strains exerted upon the torpedo during such discharge.

'2; A guide block for torpedoes, comprising a body, a rib on said body, and a plurality of roller bearings carried by said rib, certain of said bearings having their axes of rotation disposed transversely of the rib and their peripheries projecting beyond the outenface of the rib, and the remainder of said bearings having their axes of rotation disposed at rightangles to the axes of rotation of the first named bearings and their peripheries projecting beyond the side faces of the rib.

3; The combination of a torpedo spoon having a plurality of longitudinally disposed internal grooves arranged adjacent each side edge thereof, a torpedo movably mounted in said spoon, a pair of guide members carried by the torpedo, ribs on said guide members slidably engaged in respective grooves of the spoon, and anti-friction bearings carried by the rib adapted to engage the inner and side walls of the grooves in the spoon under the influence of transverse strains applied to the torpedo.

4. The combination with a torpedo spoon and a torpedo slidable in said spoon, of guiding means for maintaining the movement of the torpedo in a given line during its travel in the spoon, and means carried by the guiding means for absorbing friction arising during movement of the torpedo in the spoon irrespective of the direction of transverse strains exerted upon the torpedo during such movement.

5. The combination with a torpedo spoon and a torpedo slidable in said spoon, of means interposed between the torpedo and spoon at the upper and lower sides of the former respectively for absorbing friction arising during discharge of the torpedo irrespective of the direction of transverse strains exerted upon the torpedo during discharge.

6. The combination of a torpedo spoon having a longitudinal internal groove arranged adjacent each side edge thereof, a torpedo movably mounted in said spoon, a pair of guide members carried by the torpedo, ribs on 'said guide members slidably engaged in respective grooves of the spoon, and anti-friction bearings carried by each rib adapted to engage the inner and side walls-of the groove in which said rib is disposed.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM J. DOOLAN.

VitnGsses RICHARD J. JONES,

OrrAs. G. TOLSON.

I topics of this patentmay be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0'. 

